


Distilling Helium

by esteefee



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Secret Admirer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-25
Updated: 2010-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-17 14:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/177636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esteefee/pseuds/esteefee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney has a secret admirer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Distilling Helium

**Author's Note:**

> For the anonymoose person who gifted me with balloons!

"Was it you?" McKay said, charging into John's quarters without even knocking.

"No," John replied, then put down his copy of _The Uncanny X-Men_ and said, "Was it me who what?"

"Was it you who put those balloons in my room?" Rodney glared at him, apparently for good measure.

John suppressed a flashback. "Okay, really: no. Because, _clowns_ , Rodney. Hate 'em and anything to do with them. You know that."

"I do? Oh, I do. Well, then, who was it, I wonder?"

"I don't know. Someone else who hates you?"

"Oh, ha and very ha." Rodney casually pushed John's legs over and sat on the side of the bed. "Whoever it is must be a scientist, I'll tell you that—not only did they break the lock on my door, but they managed to distill _helium_ of all things—"

John sat up straight. "Wait—they're helium balloons? The floaty kind?"

"Ye-es. Does it make a difference?"

"Well, yeah! They're not creepy like the animal ones or the ones that just sit there on the floor. I mean, they fly! And you can suck on the helium and make funny voices."

Rodney turned his head and gave John a long stare. "Colonel, sometimes I really, really wonder about you. Actually, I don't wonder at all anymore—I'm completely convinced you're a lunatic."

"Oh, that really stings coming from the mad scientist, McKay."

"Hmmph. Well, obviously _someone_ thinks the world of me. I should find out who they are." Rodney crossed his arms, looking smug.

John rolled his eyes. "What, so you can date them? Heck, you don't even know who this person _is_." Okay, that maybe sounded a little desperate.

"Well, I know they're smart enough to break in, and smart enough to cryogenically distill helium out of natural gas—"

"Or probably freakin' requisition it from the SGC—"

"Yes, well. Possibly."

"They're just some stupid balloons," John mumbled resentfully. "It's not like they gave you their pudding every day for a week when you were stuck in the infirmary with the Pegasus mumps, or sat on their ass for six hours and watched your back in a damp cave while you tried to power up a remote observation platform, and then ended up defending you against giant purple six-legged spiders. Or anything."

Rodney stared at him while John fought down a blush. After a long moment, Rodney coughed and said, "I did apologize for the spiders."

"They were huge fucking spiders, okay? And they bit me."

"I give you full credit for the spiders." A warm, crooked smile lifted one side of Rodney's mouth, the right side, the side John always wanted to nibble on, and John looked away, heat settling in his chest.

"I don't know what they were thinking, anyway, giving me balloons. Even helium ones," Rodney said reflectively, and John looked back at him. "After all, they should've realized I'm not a balloon type of person. As much as I appreciated the thought."

"Yeah? Huh." John nudged Rodney's hip with his knee.

"No, not at all." Rodney turned to face him more fully, casually resting his weight on one hand, putting it on the bed between John's knees. John closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again hastily.

"No," Rodney continued, "I'm much more of a model race car kind of guy. Really, they should have picked me up some decals for my new RC Mercedes."

John's jaw dropped. "You bastard! You fucking hacked my entries in the manifest. You sneaked a look at your birthday present!"

"I couldn't resist, really—ow!"

John punched his shoulder again. "That's what you get, you big cheater. And that's just the start. Teyla's going to kill you when she finds out you ruined the surprise."

But Rodney smiled at him, maybe the sweetest smile John had seen on hm, at least since he'd been cured of the parasite. And John knew, a) he hadn't gotten away with what he'd let on; and, maybe b) he wasn't alone in wanting it. And that was huge.

"So, uh. I guess you don't care anymore who gave you the balloons, then," John said, his voice going squeaky like he'd been sucking on that helium after all. Funny how his heart felt about that light, as well.

"I don't know. I suppose it depends," Rodney said, leaning a little closer.

"What do you mean? Depends on what?" John asked, worried all over again.

"Well, was it you?"

  
 _End._   



End file.
